The primary goal of the study is to determine the incidence and severity of acute Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) following human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched related donor Hematopoetic Stem Cell(HSC) transplant in patients with blood related cancers who receive the combination of tacrolimus and Thymoglobulin as GVHD prophylaxis. The investigators also will determine the safety of this combination in the first six months post transplant.

Secondary goals include determining the time to recovery of white blood cells and platelets (engraftment), determining the occurrence of opportunistic infections, defined as infection that occurs in people with weakened immune systems and caused by organisms that do not normally cause disease (fungal infections, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), and viral infections), estimating the incidence of chronic GVHD at two years and the overall and disease free survival at two years.

Immune response will be assessed by means of immuno-correlative studies both prior to and at various points after transplant.

Tacrolimus and Thymoglobulin, as Graft-versus-Host-Disease Prophylaxis

Drug: Tacrolimus and Thymoglobulin

Intravenous Tacrolimus 0.03 mg/kg/d, beginning day -3, where day 0 is the day of stem cell infusion or "transplant." Intravenous tacrolimus will be discontinued once the participant starts eating, and the drug will then be given orally at a dose of approximately 4 times the intravenous dose. Tacrolimus will be discontinued starting 100 days after transplant unless signs of acute and chronic GVHD develop or if severe toxicity occurs. Thymoglobulin will be given 0.5 mg/kg day-3, Thymoglobulin 1.5 mg/kg day -2, Thymoglobulin 2.5 mg/kg day -1. Thymoglobulin will be given intravenously over 6 hours.

Other Name: PROGRAF®

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 70 Years

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Suitable related donor as determined by the treating physician

High resolution molecular HLA typing is mandatory for HLA Class I and II

Diagnosis of hematological malignancy

Patients with one of the following hematologic malignancies, and felt to be transplant candidates by their treating physician are eligible to enroll on this protocol:

Myelofibrosis and other myeloproliferative disorders; bone marrow blasts less than 20 percent within four weeks of transplant and peripheral blood absolute blast counts less than 500 per microliter on the day of initiation of conditioning

Known contraindication to administration of Tacrolimus or Thymoglobulin

Active Hepatitis B or C

Patients with coronary heart disease (recent myocardial infarctions, angina, cardiac stent, or bypass surgery in the last 6 months) need to be cleared with a stress echocardiogram or nuclear myocardial perfusion stress test, and cardiology consult; all other cardiac history will be at the discretion of the Principal Investigator

Oxygen usage at the time of enrollment

Patients with clinical ascites

Women who are pregnant or nursing

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01246206